Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fiji Sunny Improved’

ABSTRACT

A new variety of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fiji Sunny Improved,’ characterized by its flat capitulum form; early flowering; decorative type inflorescences, strong and long peduncles; numerous ray florets per inflorescence; numerous inflorescences per plant when grown as a spray; and bright yellow ray florets.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The new Chrysanthemum variety denomination is ‘Fiji Sunny Improved.’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, andreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Fiji Sunny Improved.’

‘Fiji Sunny Improved’, identified as CGC 97012, originated from aspontaneous whole plant mutation, found by Mark Boeder in a controlledtesting program at Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom of thevariety ‘White Fiji’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,066). The new variety ‘FijiSunny Improved’ has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttings atChichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom and the distinguishingcharacteristics are retained through successive generations of asexualreproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘Fiji Sunny Improved’ is a cut type of Chrysanthemum plant varietyhaving a flat capitulum form, decorative type inflorescences and brightyellow ray florets.

Comparison with Parent

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Fiji Sunny Improved’ aresimilar to the cultivar ‘White Fiji’ in plant habitat and growth rate.In side-by-side comparisions at Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom,under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘FijiSunny Improved’ differed from plants of the parent cultivar ‘White Fiji’in the following characteristics.

1. The new variety ‘Fiji Sunny Improved’ produces yellow flowers whereasthe original cultivar ‘White Fiji’ produces white flowers

Comparision with Other Varieties

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Fiji Sunny Improved.’ aresimilar to the cultivar ‘Bright Yellow Fiji’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.10,236) in flower type, growing rate and reaction time. However, inside-by-side comparisons at Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom,under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘FijiSunny Improved’ differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Bright YellowFiji’ in the following characteristics.

1. The new variety ‘Fiji Sunny Improved’ produces yellow flowers whereasthe cultivar ‘Bright Yellow Fiji’ produces slightly paler colored yellowflowers.

2. Plants of the new variety ‘Fiji Sunny Improved’ have a shorterinflorescence than plants of the cultivar ‘Bright Yellow Fiji’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Typical specimens of the plant and flowers for the new Chrysanthemumvariety ‘Fiji Sunny Improved’ are shown in the accompanying photogaraph.The colors shown are as true as possible within the usual limits of thiskind of illustration.

FIG. 1 comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem ofthe new variety ‘Fiji Sunny Improved’ grown as a cut flower.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Fiji SunnyImproved’ is of plants grown in a glass covered greenhouse atChichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom in the month of December. Thecultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in theenvironment such as temperature, length of day and light intensity,without any variance in genotype. The commercial classification of thenew variety is a cut Chrysanthemum.

Plants of the new variety have been grown successfully under temperatureconditions averaging about 18° C. at night and about 18° C. to 24° C.during the day under light conditions of about 3,000 (cloudy conditions)to 6,000 (sunny conditions) foot candles. The plants respond well to theuse of growth retardant, such as one B9 treatment at about 2 gram/liter.To produce a commercial product the plants may be pinched once or may begrown without a pinch. It has been observed that the shelf life of thenew variety is about 21 days with a response time of about 7.5 weeks.

The new variety may be produced as a spray (center bud removed) ordisbud (lateral buds removed). The following description is with respectto a plant produced as a cut flower without pinching. In the descriptionof this new Chrysanthemum variety, color values have been taken from TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.C.C.).

Plant

Plant type: Decorative type cut chrysanthemum.

Habit: Upright.

Height: 75-100 cm.

Response time: 7.5 weeks.

Vigor: Moderate.

Shelf Life: Near 21 days.

Disease (susceptibility or resistance observed): No observations.

Growth retardant type and treatment: 1 application B9 after 3 weeks inshort days (13 hours of darkness) of 2 gram/liter.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—14 days with soil temperatures of 22° C.

Rooting habit.—Uniform, fine, fibrous and well branched.

Foliage

Compound or single: Single.

Arrangement of Leaves: Alternate.

Shape of leaf: Typical 5 lobed.

Size of leaf:

Width (cm).—5.0-6.0.

Length (cm).—8.0-9.5.

Leaf apex: Mucronate.

Base: Cordate.

Margin: Palmately lobed.

Surface characteristics:

Top.—Slightly pubescent.

Bottom.—Slightly pubescent.

Petiole:

Color.—147A.

Length.—1.5-2.0 cm.

Venation (describe): Prominent on under surface. Color: Upper side:147B. Under side: 147B.

Color:

Mature leaf.—Upper side: 147A; Under side: 147B.

Young leaf.—Upper side: 147A; Under side: 147B.

Flower

Flower type: Decorative.

Number of blossoms per branch: 8-14.

Inflorescence form: Cyme.

Depth of fully expanded blossoms: 1.2-2.0 cm.

Diameter of fully expanded blossoms: 1.3-2.0 cm.

Anemone center diameter: N/A.

Phyllaries:

Number.—15-25.

Color.—Near 137A.

Length.—0.6-1.1 cm.

Width.—0.4-0.6 cm.

Peduncle: Peduncle length is shortest at the terminal flower andprogressively longer moving down the stem; longest length is on average14-17(cm), shortest length is on average 11-13 (cm).

Length.—11-17 cm.

Color.—137B.

Surface.—Pubescent.

Texture.—Glabrous.

Ray florets:

Form/shape.—Elongated.

Texture/appearance.—Satiny, smooth.

Number per flower.—250-300.

Length.—3.0-4.0 cm.

Width.—1.1-1.6 cm.

Apex.—Denate.

Base.—Acute.

Margin.—Entire.

Disc florets:

Form/shape.—Tubular.

Number per flower.—5-15.

Length.—About 2 mm.

Width.—About 1 mm.

Diameter of disc.—<0.5 cm.

Fragrance: Moderate.

Flower Bud (at onset of color):

Length.—0.8-1.0 cm.

Diameter.—1.0-1.5 cm.

Form/shape.—Spherical.

General flower color:

1. Ray florets, upper side.—Immature: 6A. Mature: 6A. Older/Fading: 6B.

2. Ray florets, under side.—Immature: 8A. Mature: 8A. Older/Fading: 8B.

3. Disc florets.—Immature: 154A. Mature: 12B.

Flower progression with age: Color fades slightly when flowers age.

Reproductive Organs

Androecium: Present on disc florets only.

Anther shape.—Thread.

Anther color.—12A.

Pollen quantity.—Moderate.

Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.

Style color.—151B.

Style length.—About 0.1 cm.

Seed production: Has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemumplant, substantially as described